March 13, 2009 8:00 AM PDT
Friday Poll: Why did Apple shuffle the Shuffle like that?
News.com Poll
(Credit:
Apple)
This week Apple quietly released a new, redesigned version of the iPod Shuffle, and for the most part, we don't like it.
The previous version was great. It was small, usable, and cheap. Apple retained the small and cheap aspects but made, well, a nub. We're not even sure where you're supposed to put the thing, and we know we'd lose it the first day out. So the question is: why did Apple do the Shuffle that way?
With more than 15 years experience testing hardware (and being obsessed with it), Crave freelance writer Matt Hickey can tell the good gadgets from the great. He also has a keen eye for future technology trends. Matt has blogged for publications including TechCrunch, CrunchGear, and most recently, Gizmodo. E-mail Matt. 
building a silent fan-less machine was a good one. I still have a 1998 G3 desktop that has no fan,
and two old 1998 Wallstreet Powerbooks which have fans that never run (they have never EVER turned
on in all the years I've owned it, except at boot time, which is the only way I even know that they work!)
All these machines still see regular use every day and they have never suffered from not having fans
(in fact, they've never failed, period)
It is such a relief to have a silent fan-less machine. Sit in a living room for any length of time with a PC's
fans whirring in the background, and when you turn that machine off, there is such a drop in the
"din" and noise level, it's quite surprising.
I know a few people that have already bought or ordered the new Shuffle. They want it to work out, and when they're working out, they don't care about buttons or controls. They want something light that'll strap to their arm and not get in the way, and that's exactly what the new Shuffle does.
I'd imagine that since a majority of the nerds, geeks, and general idiots that whine and complain about the new Shuffle hardly ever work out, and don't even know where their local gym is, that they can't connect to the style of thinking that led Apple to redesign the shuffle.
If you're worried about losing it, buy a Nano. If you want more control over the music, buy a Nano. If you don't want or need a Shuffle, or can't comprehend the reasons behind such a nifty device, please, shut up.
Apple has made so many clueless products that no one in their right mind really wants to use (fanboys/iSheep excepted of course, because they'll buy anything... absolutely anything). Only the iSheep think everything apple does is great; the rest of us deal in reality and recognize mediocrity when we see it...
I own 3 ipods but have been less and less impressed with each new release.. This is a "never buy" for me, and I'll bet millions of others will leave this turkey on the shelf..
I understand that in order to be innovative a company (Apple, in this case) must take risks and if you take enough risks there will be some ill-fated products. There?s no need to get hostile to us gym shunning geeks that don?t care for all of Apples SKU?s. You must be a share-holder.
Someone posts something and then 40 websites trying to get traffic to increase their click-through ad revenues copy the thing pretty much word-for-word. They slap stupider headlines on the title to grab the attention of trolls who post even more crahp and cause more traffic to come through. Generally, nothing of value comes out of it (just like this article) and people are divided into camps. Brilliant! So I might as well join in...
As for this- Yeah, music in the headphone itself seems the logical direction. I'm not sure why they just didn't do it instead of creating this dinky device.
The people who say "Design should--and always will--outweigh functionality" are probably the idiots that slap a wing and fart pipe on their slow-ass honda and think they're "fast and furious." Losers!
The new shuffle is would have been a home run if the control cord allowed for the plug in of 3rd party head phones. In terms of size smaller is better and if you have not lost your last 2 generation shuffles you won't lose this one.
Will look at it over the weekend at the apple emporium
$80 is not cheap, no-screen no-button MP3 player should run for $40 (maybe $50)
1. It should be small, but still large enough to use the butins on it
2. It needs an LCD, period!
3. It should have a clip on it.
4. It should be at least 4GB, but why not 16? Memory is cheap these days.
5. Not proprietary in any way
Thats all , is that to much to ask.....
two more words: business savy.
I see it as having the balls to build something that isn't mainstream. Its different. Do all things work. Heck no, but I don't think Apple is going to stop trying. And yea, sometimes you have to pay more for it. That's why you have a choice. So if your so into a screen then buy a nano or that Microsoft Zune thing. If you need a clip buy the 2G shuffle or that Sansa thing.
Plus, since I'm color-blind, I never had a clue when my battery was wearing down on my 2d-gen Shuffle because I can't see the difference bewtween the red, yellow or green tiny indicator light. Now I don't have to. My new Shuffle will talk to me and tell me where my battery level is.
Oh, and I could care less about the other voice features. I don't have playlists and I pretty much know the artist and title of every song I downloaded. Um, that's because I downloaded them.
new shuffle $50
Apple Logo $30
--------------------------------
$80
Apple logo was cool few years ago, but I kinda feel I don't want to get Apple products just because everybody has iPhone on the train .... I don't think it's cool anymore. Am I wrong?
Your comment should be telling you something. "Everybody has iPhone on the train". What, you don't like cool?
oh, of course I will use white Apple headset
Apple will continue to sell products in droves, but future sales will be driven forward by the Walmart crowd, and people who think they know cool, but really don't have a clue. That you actually think iPhones are still cool speaks more about you than it does about the iPhone...
Wrong! Inovation is cool. Fresh styling is cool. The latest fashion is cool. But a particular brand label DOES NOT DECIDE COOL. Because if it did, you would be wearing the same clothes your parents did at your age. Understand?
you what iShuffle reminds me? Have you seen this? http://www.theonion.com/content/video/apple_introduces_revolutionary
Comparing the new 3G Shuffle to the 2G, it is 100% smaller, has 100% more storage at the same price, has better ergonomics with the remote (controls stay is same, easily accessed position, unlike the clipped on 2G), has an audio interface (the 2G has no interface), and can use playlists (unlike the 2G). The negative is 2hrs less battery and no use of regular earphones... which will be solved with a remote dongle with so-so ergonomics... or new earphones with great ergonomics.
Apple's Shuffle has always been an evolution of their remotes. The original iPod remote that came with the early iPods had 6 buttons - for the 1G Shuffle, Apple put the six buttons in the wheel configuration, which was used on the smaller Apple Radio Remote - which the 2G looks almost identical to. Apple more recently has supplied the 3 button remotes on the earphones, and now that is where the 3G Shuffle has put them.
Of course, I have no reason to whine... Apple buds and in-ear earphones fit me fine, the buds from my 5+ year old 3G iPod still work fine (my Ultimate Ears died in 1 month), and I just picked up a $29 refurb 2G Shuffle that I love... and yes, the poll is stupid.
Don't buy it. But a zune or whatever you want.
I happen to like the new Shuffle and even though I have an I-Touch I will probably get one of these for working out in the gym and running.
Don't buy it. But a zune or whatever you want.
I happen to like the new Shuffle and even though I have an I-Touch I will probably get one of these for working out in the gym and running.
- by nolocontendre March 13, 2009 11:33 AM PDT
- Are you kidding? The new shuffle is perfect for its intended use-that is to listen to music while you're exercising, and it beats the old shuffle because you can actually create playlists and select them using the talk button. You guys are dinosaurs. Plus it fits 4 GB memory into something that's the size of a tie clip. Lose it? Won't the 3 ft long white headphone cord give it away? I will definitely buy one of these even though I have an iPod nano, which by the way you can not control very effectively while you're on the elliptical. The shuffle will solve that little problem. Get real! Apple scores again!!!!
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